A plant-covered twisting tower that will produce more energy than it consumes is currently under construction in Taiwan.

Shaped like a DNA strand, a plant-covered twisting tower is currently under construction in Taipei.

Designed by Vincent Callebaut, the 20-storey Agora Garden apartment block is designed with a double-helix structure that twists up around a fixed central core.

"Different from the modern city built of concrete, glass and steel, the Agora Garden tower appears in an urban centre as a green twisted mountain, "said Callebaut.

Balconies on each floor will be filled with plants, vegetable gardens and fruit trees, creating a cascading layer of greenery across the exterior. These will enable residents to grow their own food and compost their biodegradable waste.

Drawing on passivhaus principles and sustainable technology, the structures will produce more energy than they consume. They will draw on the methods of rainwater-harvesting, solar energy and waste-recycling to ensure a carbon neutral footprint.

"The concept is to build a true fragment of vertical landscape with low energetic consumption," explained Callebaut. "The project represents a built ecosystem that repatriates the fauna and the flora in the heart of the city and generates a new box of subtropical biodiversity."

Agora Garden is being constructed on one of the largest designated residential sites in the city and will be surrounded by a moat.

As well as apartments, the building will also accommodate rooftop clubhouses, a swimming pool, gym facilities and car parking floors.

Vincent Callebaut won a competition to design the building in 2010 and construction is set to complete in 2016.